Caffeines, Stars and Souls
by Ferrum
Summary: Collection of drabbles of various characters. 3. Natural, SII & III: Shu, Apple, Caesar
1. SV, Gizel x Sialeeds: Love Never Dies

**_Love never dies _**  
**Love never dies** for Gensui 108 Themes #51  
**Disclaimer**: Konami's  
**Characters**: Gizel x Sialeeds  
**Timeline**: Pre-Suikoden V

Sialeeds was not the kind of woman Gizel had ever met in the noble families.

It was true, that on the outside, she was elegant and beautiful just like the rest, and if he hadn't had a conversation with her several years ago, he wouldn't have noticed it.  
What differed her from the rest were the blunt and often harsh words she used whenever she was conversing with nobilities. She didn't do it out of arrogance, but she did it because she didn't trust his kind… every single one of them.

He was not an exception.

But if the other noble backed off every time Sialeeds saw through them and mocked them in her own graceful way, Gizel would not. He would participate and play her game. He would always reply her with clever ways so Sialeeds would not be the one winning in the end.

In the end, that was the key to make them get along very well. Very well indeed, that it had been a sign to the royal family to engage Gizel and Sialeeds.

The royal engagement didn't bother either of them. Even after it, his lady's attitude didn't change at all, much to his joy. As a matter of fact, Gizel was quite pleased that he was officially the one closest to the one he adored. He didn't need to search her face in the parties because he would always come as her escort.

She was wild and dauntless. When she visited Stormfist, she would drag him away from castle and force him to enter Western Woods with her, despite Gizel's warning that she shouldn't be away from her guards.

Seeing her daring acts in the forests, Gizel had said once, "I finally understand why a lady as beautiful as you, Lady Sialeeds, did not have any lad who can capture your heart. It seems that our engagement was Her Highness the Queen's act of desperation, fearing that you would grow old alone without a husband."

"Are you saying that you're interpreting my adventurous side as 'wild'?"

"You must remember that you should restrain yourself from dangerous acts that could make you get hurt, Lady Sialeeds."

"Nonsense." She snorted. "And I don't need a cowardly husband. You might as well back away and return to your comfortable castle if you're scared."

"True, I'm scared," Gizel smiled, "I'm scared of losing you."

Sialeeds' eyebrows met in irritation. "Would you stop annoying me, and if you're really scared of seeing me dying, clear the way for me, starting from that ugly Creeper over there."

"As you wish."

And the days of their engagement continued, neither of them complained about it. He would often visit her in Sol Falena, and she would too, to Stormfist… or more to the Western Woods in Stormfist. The royal family, and especially, the Godwin, had seen this act as a good start for their future.

Surely Sialeeds was very surprised when one day Gizel asked, "can I have a permission to kiss you, Lady Sialeeds?"

After a moment of a horrified look, Sialeeds finally said, "but you're not even seventeen."

Gizel blinked once before saying, "so cannot I kiss you before I'm seventeen, milady? I don't know that kind of rule exist before. And we're engaged for one and a half year already, isn't it strange if I've never kissed you before?"

Sialeeds knew that Gizel with determined eyes was not someone she could win from in an argument. She grunted and said, "Cheek. More than that, I'll tear you from limb to limb."

"I still want to keep on living until I'm married and have children, thank you very much." He said as he took a step closer to Sialeeds.

Sialeeds shut her eyes tightly when his face came closer. She jolted slightly when his lips brushed her cheek for a two seconds kiss. Gizel was actually surprised as he raised his face and found Sialeeds' face blushed in a deep pink color.

She was very cute, he thought. And it was the first time he realized that he had fell in love with the woman he adored so much. Seeing her face, Gizel was also aware that he had the potential to make Sialeeds love him as much.

After that, Gizel decided that he would treat Sialeeds with more respect. With more care so the girl realized that Gizel was not only a friend, but also a fiancé, a future husband, and eventually… her lover. If she only expected a kiss in the cheek, he would give her no more, until the time finally came for them to confront their feelings. They would be husband and wife in the future… so waiting for a while before stepping to the next level would not hurt any of them.

He would keep her precious so she wouldn't see any man other than him. If their relationship could start out smoothly, their love would stay strong until their marriage, and after… Their love would be strong, it would not be disappeared; it would never die.

Half a year after, his dream shattered into pieces.

**Originally written** at April 26th, 2006 in LJ.  
Thank you for zeal goddess, jing, and lurk stiltzkin (at) LJ for checking grammar errors; Kupo for telling me to post this in ffnet.


	2. SV, Rahal x Miakis: A little bit further

**A little bit further** for Gensui 108 Themes #77 (go further)  
**Disclaimer**: Konami's  
**Characters**: Rahal, Miakis  
**Timeline**: Post-Suikoden V

"Rahal!"

A voice stopped him from taking another step. He turned to his back, and saw what he was expecting, Miakis running towards him. It had been years since the certain childhood friend left Sauronix in order to become a Queen's Knights, but he had noticed that Miakis barely changed.

"If you're coming, you at least should greet your childhood friend before leaving again!" Miakis glared at him when she reached few steps distance from him.

"On the contrary, I was going to the Parliament Building because they told me you're on an errand there." Rahal reduced that gap with walking a few steps. "Apparently you're not… Hmm, that's strange."

"I just got back," her glare disappeared and a grin plastered her face.

"That figures," Rahal replied the grin with a smile. "Care for a walk?"

"C'mon! I'll show you around!" She obliged, taking his one hand almost as if pulling him. "So that means Flail is here, too isn't she? Where is she now? You don't leave her in the port just like that, do you?"

Not only the outside, Rahal realized that her inside didn't change at all. Not that he minded. "Fortunately, Flail is going to be a mother soon, so I don't want to force her to leave her egg alone, even if I can. I came here by boat from Spinacks."

"Flail is what? Wow! It's only been a few months since the war's finished, now she's going to have a baby!"

"The males have started this 'sorting' as soon after the war's ended." Rahal told her. "They actually wanted it to sort sooner but then that incident came."

"Ah, that's too bad… but she's alright right now, right? Is her mate some dwaggie-horse I know? Ah, that's the Parliament Building." Miakis suddenly pointed as they walked pass the front of the mentioned building. "Was the Senate Building. They renamed that since the system's changing..."

Rahal sighed. "I'm not a fool, I completely aware of that, Miakis, thank you. And didn't Roog tell you the reason why Lance has left Sol-Falena for a while?"

"What for?" She watched Rahal's face changed. She then voiced in disbelief. "Don't tell me Lance mated with her? Oh that Roog, I'll kick his ass when he got back from Beaver Lodge tomorrow!" Miakis almost jumped in excitement and anger. "But I bet they're going to have a cute baby, I can tell."

"Of course it's going to be beautiful like the mother."

Miakis laughed at his last comment. Her laughter didn't change too. Miakis was like what she had been when they were a child.  
The Falena Queendom may have changed, Flail may have grown into a mother, and he himself may have turned into an adult, but Miakis would still be the same old Miakis. Rahal was grateful for it.

"And women in Sauronix… you don't choose any of them for yourself?" She asked it with the same playful tone she always had since years back.

"Please," Rahal voiced displeasure. "If any of them is more beautiful than me, I won't hesitate. Thankfully, none of them are." His lips preformed a smile as Miakis greeted his words with another laugh.

"Here, here," Miakis gave him a pat at the back. It felt the same like what she always gave them back then, only they had been on the head. Well, it had to be too childish if she had given the same pat in the head in front of public, but if she really had… he wouldn't mind…

"Have you eaten? There's this new restaurant in Sol Falena. It has a menu for Sauronix food."

"I think I didn't come all the way for another Sauronix taste."

"Oh. Let's get the usual, then. I mean the restaurant that I always went to when we're out to the city. It has this delicious Sol Falenan dish that you'd die for."

"That sounds good."

Rahal followed her as she talked more about the places they passed, and the change in the capital itself. He looked as his Miakis eyes when she spoke… they shone as like they had always been.

Wait. _His_ Miakis…?

When the word unconsciously popped into his mind, he started to wonder if he really wanted Miakis would always stay like that… if he really wanted that Miakis and him stayed as childhood friends. He knew that he was grateful that Miakis remained the same. But he didn't expect that Miakis would stay like that in the future. It wouldn't be so long until a man took her heart and who knew if Miakis still gave Rahal the same treatment like she'd always given her.

He would hate the man. He was sure if Roog would too, but Roog would give the man something to teach before Rahal gave his, in his own way.

Would she also change if he met this 'more beautiful' woman than he was searching and marry her? …but then again, he wouldn't like any female treat him like or more than Miakis always did.

He almost groaned when he brought them all together in a conclusion. He was most afraid of what Miakis would do to him if this turned out bad… and he was also frightened of what Roog would do to him if this turned out good…

It's the time for him to make this relationship go a little bit further.

**Originally written **on March 27th.  
No-one beta-ed it, so if you find any mistakes, please do tell me. I'll be very thankful.


	3. SII & III, Shu, Apple, Caesar: Natural

**Title: ****天然 ****// Natural** for Gensui 108 themes #98  
**Disclaimer:** Konami  
**Characters:** Apple, Shu, Caesar  
**Timeline:** Post Suikoden II, before Suikoden III

There was no one in the world that Apple hated more than Shu.

Everything in Shu was not right. The way he acted, the way he talked, the way he stood, even seeing Shu blinking was enough to make her furious. His existence itself was like a pollution.

She also hated the fact that he excelled at everything; particularly and precisely _everything_. Maybe that was why Mathiu paid attention to him more than her.

"I know what you're always thinking, Apple." One day Shu told her. "But don't let it get into you. Mathiu doesn't mean so much to me as he does to you."

That was why he hated Shu more; the way that he regarded her one true idol. Shu didn't appreciate Mathiu like she did.

"No, I appreciate him." He said then. "But I do not adore him as much as you do. I am not as obsessed as you are. I am student. I learn so much from him. I respect him as my teacher."

Young Apple snorted. "If you respect him, you better start doing your homework, not slacking off and playing around at the trading center with people twice your age."

"I need some potch to live too, you know."

"We all need money, but it's not the most important thing in the world." Apple replied dryly, and it's time for her to blurt the most important reason why he hated Shu. "And how in the world you can keep your marks like that when you're barely studying?"

Shu smiled, mysteriously. "It seems that I'm naturally smart."

Oh yes, how she hated Shu that time.

***

It was no more than twenty years later. The same, now middle aged Apple was furious off her pupil. Caesar Silverberg was practically sleeping in his desk, on the test she had given fifteen minutes before.

She hated the fact that he could finish the questions she had thought about for two nights, in fifteen minutes. Her hard work was meaningless.

It made her remember Shu in their young days in Mathiu's school.

Damn Shu and all _naturally_ talented people in the world.


End file.
